1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to the field of tools for working upon electrical conductors to cut, strip the insulation therefrom and affix terminals thereto, as well as cut terminal screws and similarly threaded rods.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Multi-function tools were well known in the prior art, as for example, U.S. Design Pat. No. 188,392 issued July 12, 1960 to David J. Crimmins for Crimping Tool, assigned to the assignee of the instant invention and now expired. They generally suffered from the fact that the location of most elements on the tool was as a result of compromises which attempted to provide all required functions whether or not each element worked at its optimum capacity. On the Crimmins tool, as will be explained below in greater detail, there were provided three crimping nests, two for insulated terminals of different size ranges and one for bare terminals. This arrangement had a great drawback increased in scope by the number of crimping nests employed. In a pliers-type tool for a desired handle pressure, or force, only one point along the jaws or handles provides the correct crimping force. Moved off of that point, the crimping force is increased or decreased depending upon the direction of movement of the crimping nest. Thus, for two nests, each could be adjacent the optimum point but as the number of nests goes up the displacement is greater and the error from the desired crimping force is increased. The number of nests is increased so that the terminals are properly applied, not crushed or left partially uncrimped. The nest dimension must be such that at closed handle position the various ranges of terminals are properly crimped. The use of operator discretion to determine when the crimp was complete and thus permit the use of one nest, is not satisfactory since operator strength and operator "feel" is not repeatable.